Android Things 1.0 marks the beginning of consumer-ready IoT products

Connected devices may not have received much public-facing attention from Google lately, but the company just announced that Android Things 1.0 is official.

The platform for Internet of Things devices is available to developers following a lengthy preview that included over 100,000 downloads. Android Things, which was announced in mid-2015, maintains communication between devices that operate on low power and with little memory.

Google already has two partners jumping at the opportunity to power such devices. Qualcomm and MediaTek, two experienced companies in the semiconductor business, have system-on-modules (SoMs) certified for production use. The SDA212 and SDA624 from Qualcomm as well as MediaTek’s MT8516 are guaranteed to receive support for three years.

Both partners will make reference designs with their SoMs available in the coming months.

On its own end, Google will issue software updates in a timely manner. The updates for Android Things will be automatic, including stability fixes and security patches for three years with options for extended support.

The first batch of hardware is on the way. Smart speakers from LG and iHome have Android Things built-in, and those already-announced smart displays from companies like Lenovo and JBL also have it. These products should ship between now and the end of the summer.

Android Things is primarily for developers, but consumers should understand it’ll help services like Google Assistant and Google Cast work properly between devices.

If you’re a developer attending I/O 2018 this week, expect Google to talk a lot about Android Things in various sessions.